DDOT pleased by streetcar RFI responses

Washington, D.C.'s District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Thursday said response to its Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposal (RFQ/RFI) was sufficient for the agency to pursue a 22-mile streetcar network serving the nation's capital.

DDOT said it received 20 responses, of which "seven were received from complete or nearly complete teams, five indicated intent to form and lead a team if/when an RFQ is issued, and eight did not indicate their teaming intentions."

"Responses to the RFI identified key areas of the project where additional analysis is needed prior to issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP)," said DDOT Director Terry Bellamy. "This is exactly the type of information we were hoping for when we issued the RFI. It will allow us to produce a more informed and therefore, a more effective RFP."

Added DDOT Chief Engineer Ronaldo "Nick" Nicholson, "Proposals of this magnitude are often time and resource intensive. Respondents indicated support of a two-step process where firms or teams would be short-listed after a Request for Qualifications."

DDOT requested analysis identifying complexities of integrating bus and streetcar operations, plans and status of the environmental review process for streetcar segments, information on potential funding streams, and inclusion of streetcar vehicles with the overall procurement.

A DDOT link to DC streetcar.com has a PDF file with a complete list of companies responding in some form to DDOT.